Watercooler Stories

Drivers slow down as gas costs rise

SACRAMENTO, June 23 (UPI) -- As U.S. gas prices soar above $4 a gallon, more motorists are driving significantly slower on the freeway, analysts say.

Experts say following speed limits is one way to battle ballooning gas costs, The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee reported Sunday.

"Once you get above 55 mph, almost all cars are losing fuel economy. It is going to decline about 7 to 8 percent per five miles of increased speed," said David Greene, an analyst with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Some drivers say slowing down simply gives them peace of mind.

"To tell you the truth, I feel better. It's a metaphor, really, for not rushing in life. It's a meditative approach," said driver Frank Salituri, who pays about $118.99 to fill up his work van.

Internal Notes

Youngsters compete in Soapbox Derby

CINCINNATI, June 23 (UPI) -- Sixty young drivers competed during the weekend in an old Ohio tradition, the Cincinnati Soapbox Derby.

Contestants and their entourages began arriving as early as 7:30 a.m., two hours before the practice runs and three hours before the first trial heats, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

The first Cincinnati Derby was held in 1934 and it remained an annual fixture until 1978. The event was revived in 2006.

"That first year we had 25 cars. Last year we had 27, this year we had 64 until this morning, but we had four scratches, so now it's 60, more than double last year," said Doug Newberry, president of Cincinnati Soapbox Derby and a driving force behind its comeback.

Children 8 to 13 compete in the Stock race where car and driver can weigh no more than 200 pounds. Contestants 10 to 17 are eligible for SuperStock, where the maximum weight is 300.

The sport is now completely co-ed, and Newberry had two daughters competing along with his son.

Winners get to go to Akron for the National Finals next month. There's also the Cincinnati Mayor's Cup Challenge, with a $5,000 prize.

Will beavers bring tourists to Scotland?

EDINBURGH, Scotland, June 23 (UPI) -- Animal advocate groups predict that beavers will be a major draw for tourists if the animals become re-established in Scotland.

Beavers, once prized for their fur, have not lived in the wild in Scotland for four centuries. They are to be re-introduced next year with beavers imported from Norway.

An Oxford University study estimated that tourists drawn by beavers would spent 2 million pounds ($4 million) annually, The Scotsman reported. The study was commissioned by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society, which are the leading agencies in the reintroduction.

The study foresaw minimal economic damage. In other countries, re-introduced beavers have consumed crops, drowned fields with their dams and killed trees.

Jeremy Usher Smith of Wild Scotland said that beavers are ideal animals for eco-tourism. Families of up to eight live in large lodges and build dams, making them easy to find.

Up to four families of beavers are to be released in Knapdale Forest in Argyll.

Wikipedia blamed for test score drop

EDINBURGH, Scotland, June 23 (UPI) -- The Scottish Parent Teacher Council blames students' reliance on Wikipedia and similar online sources for a drop in examination scores.

Eleanor Coner, the information officer, told The Scotsman that students are good at working with computers but "rubbish" at doing research. She said they pick up information online and pass it off as their own work.

"It's dangerous when the Internet is littered with opinion and inaccurate information which could be taken as fact," she added.

The percentage of students passing the high school test dropped for the first time in four years this year.

Most Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone and political entries especially are subject to self-inflation by the subjects or vandalism by opponents. At one point, the Wikipedia entry on former British Prime Minister Tony Blair included an obscene description of his relationship with U.S. President George Bush.

While Wikipedia says it has taken steps to improve its accuracy and deal with vandalism, the online encyclopedia warns that errors are especially likely in less-read entries.